Association Between Household Food Insecurity and Malnutrition Among Children Attending Anganwadi Centres in Rural Bengaluru: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background and objectives: Malnutrition is a universal problem that has many forms. It affects all geographies, all age groups, and rich and poor people.The link between food insecurity and the health of populations has been established. Malnutrition commonly affects all groups in a community, but infants and young children are the most vulnerable because of their high requirements for growth and development. Hence, this study is taken up to assess existing household food insecurity, nutritional status, and various factors influencing the same among preschool children. Material and methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Anganwadis in the rural field practice area attached to Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), Bengaluru. Based on the probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling method, 500 Anganwadi children aged three to six years were included in the study from nine Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) blocks in Nelamangala, Bengaluru. Data were collected using a pre-validated, semi-structured questionnaire. Results: Among 500 study participants, 274 (54.8%) were boys and 226 (45.2%) were girls. Moderate underweight was seen in 13.87% of boys and 28.32% of girls. Severe underweight was seen in 6.57% of boys and 4.4% of girls. Moderate stunting was seen in 6.2% of boys and 21.68% among girls. Severe stunting was seen in 1.44% of boys and 0.88% of girls. Moderate wasting was seen in 12.41% of boys and 16.81% of girls. Severe wasting was seen in 2.19% of boys and 0.88% of girls. Mild food insecurity was seen in 11.65% of households, and moderate food insecurity was seen in 5.2% of households. There was a significant association between wasting and household food insecurity (p < 0.05), stunting, and household food insecurity (p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between age and stunting, gender and stunting, and gender and underweight. On regression analysis, moderate food insecurity was 2.08 times higher and significantly associated with stunting. Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition was less than the NFHS 5 statistics in this study. Regular monitoring and analysis of food insecurity and malnutrition among children and women need to be done at the national, state, and regional levels.